News

16 05 2018 - Media release

Applications open for Indigenous Screen Business funding

Actor Miranda Tapsell with director Catriona McKenzie on the set of Redfern Now, a Blackfella Films Production. Blackfella Films has previously received Enterprise funding from Screen Australia

Screen Australia has today announced a special Indigenous Screen Business initiative, to help build business capacity within the Indigenous screen production sector. The initiative is being run as part of Screen Australia’s year-long celebration of 25 years of Indigenous screen stories.

The Indigenous Screen Business initiative has been developed for production companies who have a track record in producing successful Indigenous projects, and a clear vision for how they want to grow their business over the next two to three years.

“Investing in and fostering Indigenous screen practitioners has been a key focus of the Department throughout its 25 year history,” said Penny Smallacombe, Head of the Indigenous at Screen Australia. “This funding opportunity aims to provide Indigenous screen businesses with the funds to consolidate or expand the scale and ambition of their production activity, and provide employment to enhance and diversify a range of business activities. This is an exciting opportunity to boost Indigenous screen businesses and the important work they produce.”

Applicants can apply for up to $20,000 for business planning, up to $70,000 for a contribution to a one year, full time position to strategically build the capacity of a company, and/or up to $100,000 for multi-year funding for the company to undertake initiatives that will develop their business as well as contribute to the industry more generally. Businesses must have at least one Indigenous company director with a minimum of three years participation in the media and entertainment industry to be eligible. Funding will be provided in the form of grants.

Applications are now open and will close on Friday 1 June 2018. More information about how to apply can be found here

ABOUT THE INDIGENOUS DEPARTMENT

Since the Indigenous Department at Screen Australia was established, it has provided over $35 million in funding for development, production and talent escalation, with over 160 titles produced in that period. The work of the Department and its partners is credited with forever changing Indigenous representation on screens, and ensuring Indigenous people can tell their own screen stories. The funding model is considered to have been so successful, it was recently replicated by the Canadian government.